A breakdown of what goes into the number on the tag, line by line, including the bit most retailers leave out.
It is the kind of detail that never makes it onto a product page, partly because it is hard to photograph and partly because it invites comparison. That is exactly why it is worth writing down.
What to look for
Start with the composition label, then the weight, then the finish. In that order, those three things predict most of how a garment will behave after a year of actual wear.
- Composition tells you how it will feel and how it will age.
- Weight tells you how it will hang.
- Finish tells you what was done to it after weaving, and what that will cost you later.
What we do about it
Every style in the range is sampled at least twice before it is signed off, and washed five times before it goes on sale. The ones that come back misshapen do not make it.
